Sharjah Triennial Releases Films on Baghdad, Damascus, Tunis Archives

The Sharjah Architecture Triennial (SAT) has released the full documentary films from A Journey into Architecture Archives: Baghdad, Damascus, Tunis online. Curated by George Arbid, the three films were shot on location and combine archival research with fieldwork and oral histories, examining how architectural histories are constructed, preserved, and revisited over time.

The 2026 iteration builds on the 2023 edition, A Journey into Architecture Archives: Beirut, Cairo, Rabat. SAT positions the project within its long-term research program for documenting and safeguarding architectural archives across the Arab world, connecting dispersed collections and fostering collaboration between researchers, institutions, and independent practitioners. The initiative maps architectural histories from within the region, treating archives as active sites of inquiry rather than static repositories.

Directed by Arbid and commissioned by SAT, the films feature contributions from architects, archivists, residents, and historians. They frame the archive as a dynamic, evolving medium that continues to shape how architecture is understood, remembered, and reinterpreted.

The 2026 iteration also took physical form as "Collection Room," an exhibition at the Al Qasimiyah School from May 2 to July 12, 2026. The format reflects a curatorial methodology that moves away from conventional display toward sustained, research-oriented engagement with archival material. The approach responds to ongoing political and material instability across parts of the region, where many architectural archives remain fragmented, under-documented, or at risk of loss.

The exhibition displayed drawings, documents, photographs, and models primarily dating from the 1930s to the 1980s, sourced from both private collections and institutional archives. The materials reflect a period marked by civic ambition, experimentation, and predominantly hand-drawn design processes. Pen-and-ink drawings, textured paper documents, and newly produced 3D-printed models highlight the tactile qualities of architectural production while revealing how projects were conceived, developed, and communicated.

The selected works document realized buildings alongside projects that were altered, demolished, or never constructed, presenting them as part of a continuous architectural narrative. The materials include records of the Hôtel du Lac in Tunis by Raffaele Contigiani, currently subject to preservation debates, and modernist civic projects in Baghdad such as the Mayoralty Building by Hisham Munir, developed following a 1978 competition. Documentation of experimental cinema structures in Damascus points to the broader socio-political and economic conditions that shaped these trajectories.

"In moments of conflict, our role extends beyond presenting history to caring for the stories we hold," said Arbid, curator, architect, and founding director of the Arab Center for Architecture in Beirut. "It is great that this archive is preserved, but more importantly, it should be used."

A public program marked the exhibition's opening on May 2, with Arbid delivering an online lecture followed by a panel discussion and Q&A. Participants Salma Gharbi, Zaid Issam, Ahmad Salah, and Ola Seif reflected on the challenges and methodologies involved in working with architectural archives.

The project states a long-term vision of contributing to a comprehensive and accessible architectural archive for the region, supporting education, research, and personal discovery across the three cities. It aligns with other regional developments, including the Deir ez-Zor Heritage Library in eastern Syria, and with renewed attention from UNESCO to heritage protection under international frameworks. With the films now online, the archives move one step closer to the active use Arbid demands.